Color, aroma, taste, and intent—these are the fundamentals of cooking.
Even the final, sublimated Magic Skill Dao extends from these fundamentals. Color appeals to the eye, aroma to the nose, and these two are the very first things to captivate a diner.
On the heated iron plate, grains of rice, scattered and glistening like polished white jade, were interspersed with specks of golden egg. Then there were the various side ingredients: diced, earthy-yellow spring bamboo shoots, green and white bok choy shoots, vibrant green Indian wormwood, and minced, bluish-brown Yan Cong Mushrooms. All of it was enveloped in a cloud of steam.
Chopped wild scallions garnished the fried rice, the heat releasing their pungent fragrance to mingle with the various other aromas.
Finally, there was the crucian carp soup, freshly boiled with these same ingredients. A few more scallions were added for a final boil, making it the perfect accompaniment to the fried rice.
...
Only when the cooking was done and the dish was plated did Zhao Tiansheng let out a cloudy breath.
He had completely exhausted his Star Power to control the heat of the "Cannon Furnace" he had just created.
But the result exceeded his expectations. It could be said that this dish barely represented the Peak of his current abilities.
It stood firmly at the upper echelon of the "Garden Banquet" level.
You must understand, in this world, ingredients have different grades, so dishes naturally have different levels of quality. The most basic level, which most Sacrificial Priests can cook at during Tier Three of Foundation Establishment in their Sacrificial Cultivation, is called the "Ordinary" level.
The ability to utilize nearly all the Primordial Qi within the ingredients without waste is the standard for an Ordinary dish.
After that is the "Garden Banquet" level. Not only can it perfectly preserve the Primordial Qi, but its flavor also transcends the ingredients themselves, making it worthy of any feast. Most importantly, the combination of different ingredients produces additional effects.
And after "Garden Banquet" come the levels of "True Flavor," "Daoist Offering," and "Celestial Banquet."
Each has its own standards and requirements, all closely related to the Realm of one’s Sacrificial Cultivation. What Zhao Tiansheng could achieve now was to cook a dish of Excellent quality within the "Garden Banquet" level.
That is... while still a "Garden Banquet" dish, there are higher and lower tiers within it... and this was the "Excellent" level!
...
The Li-surnamed Traveling Merchant Priest shook his head. Though he had already decided to stop traveling between provinces, he never expected to face such an opponent in his final cooking duel.
’Perhaps if I can fully process this Sacrificial Decree today, I might actually have a chance to break through to the Fourth Realm of Sacrificial Cultivation?’
’At that time, perhaps even reaching the Tier Seven True Realm won’t be impossible.’
Distracting thoughts arose in his heart, but he quickly solidified his resolve.
’The Sacrificial Decree isn’t over. How can I already be thinking about what to do if I lose?’
’I might not lose yet!’
’The venison from Shanglin Garden is definitely a cut above his ingredients in terms of quality!’
This Li-surnamed Traveling Merchant Priest took out his final ingredient and tossed it in. Also considering the need to maintain heat, the scalding soup bubbled thickly, its steam rising in a great cloud.
The subtle fragrance it emitted could faintly compete with Zhao Tiansheng’s fried rice.
This lifted the spirits of the spectating Traveling Merchant Priests.
’Can’t let him intimidate us! That kid might be amazing, but Brother Li is no slouch either!’
Having witnessed Zhao Tiansheng’s craftsmanship, it could be said that the Traveling Merchant Priests present were at a loss for words.
This was especially true for the Tian-surnamed youth, who kept replaying the cooking techniques he had seen, trying to understand the reasons behind them. But without a mentor, many things were simply impossible to fully comprehend.
’There’s still hope!’
But he soon gave up on plumbing its depths.
Instead, he looked toward the center of the Sacrificial Decree. If his speculation was correct, then their Brother Li did indeed still have a glimmer of hope.
Unless...
He looked over at Zhao Tiansheng. The young Sacrificial Priest’s complexion was not good, but his eyes held an undeniable, sharp glint. They were like the stars in the sky—deep, obscure, and unfathomable. The sun could not hide their brilliance, nor could the moon dull their edge.
’Unless... his fried rice completely crushes Brother Li’s dish.’
’No... it should be... it completely crushes that piece of venison, which is practically already half a step into the Profound C Level of ingredients!’
...
At this moment, the one who was truly nervous was the Purple-striped Turtle, who had been silent the entire time.
Watching Zhao Tiansheng’s cooking techniques and seeing what he produced, it had begun to feel a little regretful on several occasions.
But now that the Sacrificial Decree was complete, there was nothing more to be said.
"’Lotus Fragrance Venison Soup’!"
"My dish is complete."
The Traveling Merchant Priest from the Divine Land stood behind his dish, his figure partially obscured by the hot steam.
In contrast, Zhao Tiansheng seemed to have no aura at all.
His face was slightly pale—it was unclear whether from the exertion of cooking or something else. The iron plate sizzled softly, SZZZZZLE, yet the aroma it released made both humans and non-humans alike turn their heads.
"’Spring Breeze Pot of Perfection’!"
"My dish is also complete!"
His words still confident, Zhao Tiansheng gestured for the judge, the Purple-striped Turtle, to choose one to taste.
In truth, there was no real choice to be made. Considering the advantages of taste, the old turtle’s only option was to sample his opponent’s dish first.
Sure enough, without any visible movement of its front limbs, a bowl filled with ’Lotus Fragrance Venison Soup’ flew through the air and arrived at the Purple-striped Turtle’s mouth.
With a light sniff, the Purple-striped Turtle showed a look of surprise.
"There really is a hint of lotus fragrance."
Soon, a bowl of venison soup was down its gullet. The delicate, savory flavor of the venison escaped as it chewed, and the spectating residents of Jinning caught a whiff. That special, delicious aroma was truly enough to make one’s mouth water.
Those with a particular fondness for game, especially, swallowed hard.
’Delicious, very delicious...’
But the more it chewed and savored, the more expressionless the Purple-striped Turtle became.
’It has the flavors of all the various ingredients, ultimately tied together by the fragrance of the lotus leaf, which acts as a rope.’
’The gaminess of the venison has been tamed; there’s no trace of unpleasantness. Instead, it has become part of the savory soup...’
’But...’
’Is this all there is?’
It opened its tiny, sesame-seed-sized eyes, and for some reason, all the Sacrificial Priests present could almost taste an emotion in the air that could only be described as ’Is that it?’
After finishing the bowl of Venison Soup, the Purple-striped Turtle remained silent for a long time. But this silence seemed to be an answer in itself.
"Let me now try Sacrificial Priest Tiansheng’s dish..."
Finally, after a long pause, the Purple-striped Turtle slowly began to speak.
Unexpectedly, the Traveling Merchant Priest from the Divine Land interrupted.
"Please, Your Excellency, tell me a thing or two—how exactly was my dish!"
A resolute light shone in his eyes. The courage inherited from his Military Family bloodline did not allow him to retreat.
Even in defeat, he had to know exactly where he had failed!
"Brother Li!"
"Junior Minister!"
The other Traveling Merchant Priests also called out.
They had also sensed by now that this Sacrificial Decree seemed to be heading in a direction they didn’t want to see.
However, the Li-surnamed Traveling Merchant Priest just shook his head and looked steadfastly at the Purple-striped Turtle.
"I want to know the details!"
"Please, Judge, enlighten me!!"
...
"Mmm..."
"Since you wish to know..."
The Purple-striped Turtle looked at the two contestants in the Sacrificial Decree and saw that Zhao Tiansheng had no intention of stopping him.
It finally voiced the words it had been holding back.
"Your dish... the soup was viscous and smooth, yet not overly heavy. On the contrary, it had a certain freshness."
"The lotus fragrance permeated every ingredient, like a thread stringing them together. Each ingredient released its own flavor, and they were all harmonized within the venison soup."
"I can say that your comprehension of ’Separation’ at Tier Three of the Priest Realm is masterful. You have a good chance of stepping into Tier Four!"
Hearing the Purple-striped Turtle’s evaluation, it was almost all praise, but... why?
If it was all praise, why did tasting his dish still feel so... ’Ordinary’?!
It seemed to have seen through the Traveling Merchant Priest’s confusion, as well as the bewilderment of the Jinning Town residents and the other visiting Traveling Merchant Priests.
"However, I have tasted the work of one who applies the mysteries of ’Separation’ with a skill that is beyond masterful—it is the pinnacle of the art, even returning to a state of primal simplicity."
"’Separation’ and ’Return,’ effectively unified, ever-changing and unpredictable."
"With every bite, though it is the same dish, a change in the proportion of ingredients entering the mouth creates a completely different experience."
"This level of distinct layering, this kind of variation..."
"...naturally makes your ’Venison Soup’ seem less than surprising!"
If the previous evaluation was praise for the Li-surnamed Traveling Merchant Priest, then this latter part was a complete blow.
The meaning behind this venerable Non-human World being’s words, both spoken and unspoken, revealed a single fact.
’Your Talent is just too poor!’
Evidently, the Traveling Merchant Priest understood this meaning as well. His face instantly became deathly pale, even a few shades whiter than that of Zhao Tiansheng, who was slowly recovering his depleted Star Essence!
But he quickly steadied his Heart Spirit and uttered a few words.
"I want to..."
"...taste the dish!"
...
At the same time Zhao Tiansheng revealed his unique stove, a servant from the Huang Family who was observing the Sacrificial Decree hurried back to report.
When it became clear that the Traveling Merchant Priest they had invited was about to be defeated, the steward’s face turned ashen.
Master Huang, however, shot to his feet in shock, but an even more intense gleam erupted in his eyes!
’As expected of someone who could startle the big shots in the Prefecture City.’
’A favor from someone like that will be huge!’